Elon Musk questions WhatsApp privacy as Meta rejects lawsuit allegations

Elon Musk has once again questioned the privacy of WhatsApp, saying the app “can’t be trusted,” as a legal dispute over its encryption practices gains attention.

Earlier this year, Meta faced a class-action lawsuit in the United States accusing WhatsApp of misleading users about its end-to-end encryption. 

The complaint alleges that certain internal systems could allow access to messages under specific circumstances. Meta has strongly denied the claims.

Responding to a viral post about the case on X (formerly Twitter), Musk urged users to consider alternatives, including features on his own platform. 

He has repeatedly criticised Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, while promoting X as a more secure option.

Pavel Durov also joined the debate, claiming WhatsApp’s encryption could be misleading and alleging that user data may be shared with third parties. 

However, Telegram’s own system does not use end-to-end encryption by default, as only its “Secret Chats” feature offers that level of security.

At the centre of the controversy is whether WhatsApp’s encryption can be bypassed for moderation or flagged content. The lawsuit also references external contractors involved in reviewing reports.

WhatsApp has rejected the allegations, calling them “false and absurd.” The company said its platform has used end-to-end encryption for years and maintains there is no backdoor, adding that message reviews only occur when users report content, not through unrestricted access.